If You Fight Your Battles Right
by Briardust
Summary: Icestar has taken over the clans. The four clans were defeated in another Great Battle by badgers and rouges, and only half a clan each remained. Out of the rubble rose Icestar, who promised to return the clans to fuller glory than they had ever seen. But she has her own plans. Cruel and vicious, no one can stop Icestar. Can someone step up before its too late? T for warriors.
1. Alligiences

**Thunderclan**

Redfrost- red tom with blue eyes

Frostpaw- icy white she-cat with blue eyes

Rosethorn - orange-red she-cat with dark green eyes

Poppypaw- blue she-cat with green eyes

Mossdusk- gray she-cat with white ear tips/ paws/ tail tip and green eyes, queen

Duskwhisker- orange tom with gray eyes

Dawnpetal- dusky gray she-cat with amber eyes

 **Riverclan**

Watereye- silvery-blue tom with blind left eye

Bluedawn- blue she-cat with amber eyes

Duskfur- sooty gray tom with clouded amber eyes

Hawkwisper- brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Cloudpaw- black tom with blue eyes

Darkpaw- gray, sooty tom with yellow eyes

Brownstripe- brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

 **Shadowclan**

Dawnclaw- experienced orange tabby she-cat with scarred right eye and yellow eyes in both

Strongripple- black tom with brown muzzle and white paws, with right front claws smashed and destroyed

Birdpaw- silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Amberpaw- orange she-cat with amber eyes and white tabby markings on head

Rednose- orange/red tabby tom with green eyes

 **Windclan**

Seedpaw- brown she-cat with black tabby markings and brown eyes

Creampaw- cream tabby she-cat with green eyes

Icefang- white she-cat with cold blue eyes

Whiteheart- fluffy, battle-scarred white tom with green eyes

Hawkfang- dark brown tabby she-cat with hard amber eyes

Eagletalon- gray tabby tom with gray eyes and yellow streaks in eyes

Grayhawk- brown she-cat with light gray stripes and green eyes Berrywind- cream tom with strong muscle and sharp, calculating gray eyes


	2. Prologue

**Okay. So, first off, I am really excited about this story. I think it is going to be my main one. I am really excited- please review!**

 **Prologue**

The night flashed with blood as it sprayed across a pale moon. Cats were screeching, yowling to protect those they loved, but they were falling left and right. Badgers, demon eyes menacing in the night, slashed open throats like so many pieces of prey. Rouges battled beside them, allies with these deadly beasts.

A brown tabby was struck down, trampled by its murderer as the badger ran towards a new target. The clans were in a dissray- no cat knew what to do.

The clans were falling.


	3. Chapter 1

**Okay, so I am going on vacation tomorrow for 9 days. I won't be able to update :(. I am putting my other books pretty much on hold for this. So yeah. I actually just heard that I will have limited access to my computer but will have it. Don't expect much, though.**

 **Enjoy, and review!**

 **Chapter 1**

" I will name every cat as I see fit. Every kit will be named by me. I will keep you safe in return."

The snowy white she-cat gazed upon the scattered remains of the once-great clans with sharp blue eyes. She was sitting on a low branch of a tree in the middle of an island, where Gatherings used to take place.

Murmurs of agreement swept through the clans.

"She asks for so little." Whispered a dark tabby she-cat, amber eyes flashing with respect. "I was in WindClan with Icefang; we can trust her."

Icefang leapt from the tree. "I admire your loyalty, Hawkfang. The four clans must now bind together. But we must vote. Those in favor of banding together with me as their leader, gather beneath the tree." The majority of the cats either padded voluntarily beneath the oak, or pushed (in the case of some apprentices). "Let me warn you, followers; you must do as I say. No less." Some cats shifted uncomfortably, but none shifted allies. The remaining cats who had not pledged allegiance to Icefang looked bravely ahead, not wavering.

"Hm…" Said the she-cat, padding over to examine the traitors. "Falconheart of WindClan… how could you? I always liked you." She addressed a gray tom whose gleaming yellow eyes were fixed into hers defiantly.

"Mosspaw of ThunderClan… Largethought of ShadowClan… tsk, tsk, this won't do. This simply won't do." Icefang evaluated each and every cat, pausing now and then to make comment on cats she knew.

Finally, she hopped back into her tree. "All your leaders are dead," she said to the cats who were watched by her followers, "and each had terrible faults. Flowerstar, of RiverClan- weakest cat I ever saw." Some on the pelts in both groups bristled. "Largestar of WindClan- too secure. He always thought we were safe. Swiftstar of ThunderClan- soft! What a surprise. And finally, Mousestar of ShadowClan- never was a scrawnier, more pathetic cat who deserved their name."

"This tree shall not be known as The FrostTree!" Icefang announced. "This will be our camp. We will have exterminations of the filthy ones soon. I am to get my nine lives- and I shall head there now. Alone." The murmurs were back, rippling like so many waves through the gathered cats.

"Did I forget to mention? Medicine cats are no more. If you cannot heal yourself, you are useless and weak."

"Do your worst, Icefang!" Snarled the gray tom from earlier, Falconheart. "I would rather die than serve this monster of a clan you have created!"

"Silence!" Icefang hissed. "Shut your pathetic mouth. And-" her cold blue eyes glinted at the words- "It's Ice _star_ to you."


	4. Chapter 2

**So I figured out that I won't be getting back until the 11th, so poop.**

Chapter 2

Rosethorn padded through a stretch of pine forest on the island. FInding a certain spot, she dug up her prey; a robin, a mouse, and a vole. Dropping her thrush, she gathered the rest of the prey and scooped it back up.

In the distance, Rosethorn heard a sharp yowl. It had been a moon since Icestar had taken over the clans, and IceClan was under her watchful gaze always. The white she-cat's code insisted on all warriors and apprentices alike to come when called, even if they lost prey. The orange she-cat's pelt rippled as she hurried through the bracken; no one dared to be late for a clan meeting.

Rosethorn scrambled through the bramble wall to see Icestar pacing on a limb of the tree. Dropping her fresh-kill, she looked around. The rough bramble dens shook as various warriors streamed out; some with apprentices, for they had to do everything together. Frostpaw and Watereye emerged first from the training den; they were soon followed by Frostpaw's sister, Poppypaw, and her mentor, Whiteheart. Looking back towards her leader, Rosethorn saw Icestar's ears twitch in excitement. _What is going on?_

"Cats of IceClan!" Icestar boomed, her voice ringing out amongst the brush. "Today we have a few important announcements.

"When I first started ruling you, you all swore to me that you would remain loyal. To follow my code… which so happens to include changing names as I see fit. Strongripple! Step forward!"

The crowd muttered- Strongripple, the ex-ShadowClan warrior, was as loyal and strong as any warrior who ever walked the forest. But Rosethorn thought she saw what was going on. Sure enough, Icestar's gaze followed Strongripple's right front paw, the one with the smashed claw.

"Strongripple, you were born with a disability to serve IceClan. Of this, you will no longer be known by your previous name. You shall instead be Twistedclaw of IceClan to forever remind you of how much harder you must work for respect." Rosethorn was shocked, ever though she had clearly seen this coming. How could one clan leader be so cruel? But the worst was yet to come…

Seedpaw watched, confused, as Hawkwhisper, Hawkfang, Duskwhisker, Duskfur, Dawnpetal, Dawnclaw, Rednose, Redfrost, and all the other cats with dual names were called forward.

"Today is the start of a new era!" Icestar declared. "In a Clan, no two cats have the same name. So IceClan won't either! Because of her loyalty, the experienced warrior Hawkfang and her so-called counterpart, Hawkwhisper, shall demonstrate. Step forward!" Her icy-blue eyes swept her clan as the two warriors looked at each other.

"Now prepare for one of you to die."

Icestar grinned as she saw her fools of a clan shiver with confusement. How did they not understand how fun this would be? She carried on.

"Hawks, you will fight to the death. No one shall interrupt you in your fight. You will fight until one of you is dead. If you don't have the _guts_ to kill an opponent when you have the opportunity, I will kill you both. If you would like to back out of the fight-" she threw a glance as Hawkwhisper imperiously- "you shall die alone on my claws."

Before any warriors had time to protest, she started.

"Fight!"

Instantly Hawkfang leapt at Hawkwhisper, but she jumped out of the way at the last minute. With smooth perfection, the two she-cats battled- Icestar was impressed by Hawkwhisper and shocked to see her avoid her to-be-deputy's blows, only to strike back harder. In fact, Hawkfang never seemed to gain the upper hand much; her blows became more and more frantic. Bored, Icestar started to close her eyes- and abruptly stopped.

As calmly and securely as killing prey, Hawkwhisper's eyes hardened. Or was Icestar imagining things? There was no way that this juvenile could beat her alli- right?

But of course, as Hawkfang soon was pinning down Hawkwhisper, aiming for a painful killing bite…

But Hawkfang got there first. With a swift lunge, she threw off her attacker, flung at her, and ripped out her throat.

Silence.

Icestar was reeling, not from the blood, but from the mere _idea_ of her thoughts being defeated- but not even she could turn back time and decisions. She must stick to it.

"Well,then." Her eyes scanned the shocked faces of the cats below her. "Well, then." For a while no cat spoke or even had the nerve to stir. "I admit that I was planning on making Hawkfang deputy." She started. The clan jerked out of their faze and looked at her with fresh respect and horror. "I admit that was my plan. But in this light-" she gestured her tail to the dead body of the tabby- "my new deputy is Rednose. The fights will resume at Moonhigh tomorrow." With that, she padded into a hollow in the tree and disappeared.


	5. Chapter 3

**WARNING: This chapter is graphic. Summary at the bottom. :WARNING**

Icestar cast her cruel gaze around the field in which her pawns watched her with a mix of fear and excitement.

"I know I said Rednose was my new deputy- but what of Redfrost? Well, I can't have my deputy die. Redfrost, come here." The fiery red tom approached, blue eyes cautious.

"Redfrost of IceClan, former member of ThunderClan, your life is breaking my code." And with that, she leaped onto him, not giving him a chance to even do more than utter the beginnings of a cry of shock before the felt the lush tear of his neck beneath her fangs. She dug deeper, savoring the feel of his fur and skin ripping out slowly and agonizingly as he grabbed his jugular and, with an almighty heave, ripped out his throat.

There was utter silence as the shock sunk in; Icestar released this throat and gazed pitilessly down at the mutated, lifeless form. The curled her lip and looked out at her Clan, her soldiers, her pawn…

"But I know I promised a real fight today." She said, "and a real fight you shall have. When Sunhigh occurs, meet me back here. Rednose, come talk to me by the pool."

The pool was part of Icestar's den, a beautiful marshly glade with ivy and lush bush coverage on all sides and above. There was a small crack where the landmass bordered the lake that made a small waterfall, a trickle of water, to sneak its way in. There is formed a shallow, clear pool, and this is now what they sat around, moss covering the ground beneath them as to provide comfort.

"So, you are deputy," said Icestar as the washed off the blood from her muzzle and the tips of her paws where she had dug into Redfrost's pelt with anticipation of the murder. "You must organize patrols. Either Duskwhisker or Duskfur will be absent. Now leave me."

"Yes, Icestar." He padded away, and Icestar looked at her beautiful reflection, grinning in the anticipation of the next fight.

Seedpaw's mind was still reeling. She had grown up next to Icestar, was introduced to Largestar for the first time by her, shown her first her mentor, Eagletalon. But now Icestar was a power-hungry, blood-thirsting monster. What had happened?

"Let all cats old enough to provide for their Clan gather under the FrostTree for a fight! Duskwhisker, formerly of ThunderClan, step forward; Duskfur, formerly of RiverClan, step forward!" Seedpaw thought she saw Duskwhisker let out a small sigh of relief and terror; for Duskfur was a sizeable opponent. The smoky gray tom padded up to Duskwhisker then, and they walked together towards the clearing below the FrostTree. They separated and faced each other, orange pelt and gray pelt bristled, gray eyes staring into cloudy amber.

Duskfur snarled and leaped forward onto Duskwhisker, who ducked and retaliated with a vicious swipe to the latter's ear. Yowling, Duskfur pinned Duskwhisker, who immediately launched up off the ground, sending Duskfur flying. Soon, however, Duskfur was back, and they became a swift blur of flame and smoke, intertwining, almost, with the other. Claws slashed and became bloody; each was fighting to the death. Though, Seedpaw noticed, Duskfur seemed to regret it, though he never hesitated, while Duskwhisker threw himself into the fray with a gleam of sick ambition in his eyes.

And then, all of a sudden, it all ended; in one clean move, one tom snapped the neck of the other, and an orange pelt fell to the ground, limp and lifeless, blue eyes staring to nothing. And as Duskfur threw back his head triumphantly to look Icestar in the eye, there was something more. Along with defiance, there was sorrow; with joy, pain. And Seedpaw knew he never wanted to kill, but knew he must, and did so willingly; for though IceClan was a dangerous and vile place, with a cruel leader, it was his Clan, and he would be loyal to it until the end.

Rosethorn blinked. Duskwhisker, dead? Duskwhisker, who she had grown to trust, who he had fought with in the attack… could it be? But now he lay, dead, upon the ground, and Duskfur carried his body out of the arena with superb confidence. Rosethorn had always thought Duskfur just, to some extent, a fine warrior of RiverClan; but now she was not sure. What kind of warrior killed to win?

She was brought back to IceClan with a yowl from their leader.

"We need kits," Icestar started, "but our boundaries still betray us. Though we are one, our spirit is divided into four. This cannot stand. There will be pairings. You have one moon to get familiar with your mate, and then you must become of bearing children. I will assign you. As we need to get a move on, and the full moon is tomorrow, I will start today, giving you an extra day."

Shock rippled through the Clan as the she-cat started to realize what was happening. Rosethorn herself was outraged, How dare her leader do this? Pairing, working? Never!

"Many rules have changed," Icestar continued, "and this is one. I, myself, will bear kits. They must have a strong father with good influence in this Clan. They must be raised to succeed the leader after me." Many cats started to whisper, but she silenced them with a glare. By now many cats, including Rosethorn, comprehended. They knew what was coming next.

Even though he must have known, Rednose's eyes went wide at his name. Even though it was inevitable, he still stood there, shocked, until Icestar called him over. Even though at the mention of power it was expected, he only staggered over to the base of the FrostTree, where his new mate joined him and twirled her tail around his, declaring that he must stay in her den.

Icestar leaped back onto the tree, gazing upon her Clan with pleasure in their shock. "All right, first. I need you, for once, to divide into your former Clans again. WindClan, left of the tree. ThunderClan, right of the tree. RIverClan, across from WindClan; ShadowClan, across from ThunderClan." There was a great scuffle as they obeyed- Seedpaw, Creampaw, Whiteheart, Eagletalon, Grayhawk, and Berrywind went below her and to the left; Frostpaw, Poppypaw, Mossdusk, Dawnpetal, and Rosethorn went to the designated spot for ThunderClan. Meanwhile, Watereye, Bluedawn, Hawkwhisker (Icestar hissed internally as she tallied her), Cloudpaw, Darkpaw, and Brownstripe went across from WindClan, and, finally, Dawnclaw, Twistedclaw, Birdpaw, Amberpaw, and Rednose went to the area for ShadowClan.

All 22 were there, Icestar noticed. She scanned the crowd. "The repeats will not be decided until they fight, then they will earn their tom or she-cat." Mossdusk was struggling with inward emotion, and Icestar remembered her sterile kits. It better not happen again, she thought, or she would have to go.

"Grayhawk!" The she-cat looked up nervously. "You are to be paired with Duskfur." The two cats looked each other in the eyes, but Icestar was not watching, really; she was thinking about how strong the kits must be, of a true warrior and a strong she-cat.

 **Hello. Here is the brief summary, in bullets:**

 **Redfrost is murdered by Icestar to ensure Rednose is her deputy**

 **Duskfur cleanly kills Duskwhisker**

 **Seedpaw understands DW's death, Rosethorn is furious**

 **Icestar announces pairings with the following rules;**

 **You will have one moon to get acquainted, then you must mate**

 **It is one day 'till the full moon, so for the first time they get 1 ½ moons**

 **You must be of a different former Clan than your mate**

 **Icestar announces that she will be mates with Rednose to ensure strong kits**

 **You can read without graphics from the second * &* down. **

**Love,**

 **Briardust**


	6. Pairings, Version 1

**The pairings are, as such:**

Grayhawk (WC) & Duskfur (RC)

Mossdusk (TC) & Watereye (RC)

Bluedawn (RC) & Twistedclaw (SC)

Icestar (WC) & Rednose (SC)

Dawn_ (_C) & Berrywind (WC)

Rosethorn (TC) & Brownstripe (RC)

 **Will be updated after the Dawn Battle.**


	7. Chapter 4

**IceClan**

(WC)

Seedpaw- brown she-cat with black tabby markings and brown eyes

Creampaw- cream tabby she-cat with green eyes

Whiteheart- fluffy, battle-scarred white tom with green eyes

Eagletalon- gray tabby tom with gray eyes and yellow streaks in eyes

Grayhawk- brown she-cat with light gray stripes and green eyes

Berrywind- cream tom with strong muscle and sharp, calculating gray eyes

(TC)

Frostpaw- icy white she-cat with blue eyes

Mossydusk (Seedpaw)- gray she-cat with white ear tips/ paws/ tail tip and green eyes

Poppypaw- blue she-cat with green eyes

Dawnpetal (Creampaw)- dusky gray she-cat with amber eyes

Rosethorn (Darkpaw)- orange-red she-cat with dark green eyes

(RC)

Watereye (Birdpaw)- silvery-blue tom with blind left eye

Bluedawn (Frostpaw)- blue she-cat with amber eyes

Hawkwhisker- brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Cloudpaw- black tom with blue eyes

Darkpaw- gray, sooty tom with yellow eyes

Brownstripe (Poppypaw)- brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

(SC)

Dawnclaw- experienced orange tabby she-cat with scarred right eye and yellow eyes in both

Twistedclaw (Cloudpaw)- black tom with brown muzzle and white paws, with right front claws smashed and destroyed

Birdpaw- silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Amberpaw- orange she-cat with amber eyes and white tabby markings on head

Rednose… **Deputy** (Amberpaw)- orange/red tabby tom with green eyes

Seedpaw stretched, dreading the newly dawned day. The day that one of two cats must die. She yawned, shaking out her fur as Mossydusk awoke beside her, her new mentor. It was strange, really, listening to a new, strange, formerly hostile cat without any hesitation or question. She snorted. Wasn't the most the Clan doing just that, under the reign of Icestar? Shouldn't they _do_ something? A thought, an idea, struck her. They could-

A sharp yowl woke her up from her daydream. Of course they couldn;t. It was a stupid idea, anyways. Her old mentor back in WindClan, Whiterain, and her sister's mentor, Silvercloud, used to always say: _There's no such thing as a stupid idea, just an idea that arrived at the wrong time._

"Seedpaw! Are you going to sit there waiting to be added to the fresh-kill pile, or are you coming out?" Mossydusk twitched her tail impatiently. Seedpaw reluctantly followed.

Icestar stood on her perch atop the tree. Her eyes glittered as she felt the wave of excitement rise within her.

"Cats of IceClan, today we have come here for a sacred ritual that will save and strengthen our clan ever further. Dawnclaw! Dawnpetal! Step forward." There was no please, no asking; she knew they would come or suffer a fate worse than death.

Dawnpetal, a dusky gray she-cat with amber eyes, stepped up confidently, much unlike her counterpart, an orange tabby with a scarred right eye, the scratch covering up the yellow orbs she called her eyes, Dawnclaw.

"Fight."

The two she-cats looked at each other, then bent their necks to touch foreheads and noses. They began to converse.

"What?! NO! _Kill her!_ " She hissed at both cats. But they just simply looked up at her, strong and powerful. Dawnclaw seemed to have fed off of Dawnpetal's energy quickly, standing straight up with muscles tense and claws unsheathed.

"We will not fight for you." Dawnpetal's clear, smooth voice rang out against the clearing.

Icestar just stood in shock for a moment, and then leaped down smoothly onto the ground in front of them, claws out and ready to kill.

"Then so be it."

She slashed into attack, but they were too much; after five minutes of fighting, Dawnpetal broke off and ran, with Dawnclaw soon behind; she gave one last, final swipe at Icestar, this time getting purchase. Icestar blinked as a claw slashed over her left eye, blood trickling everywhere. She opened her eye to see, and saw blood, but no Dawnclaw.

A voice hissed from behind her.

" _For what you did to me._ "

And Dawnclaw was gone.


End file.
